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Shoppers looking for a good deal this holiday season should also be aware of increasingly aggressive and creative scams designed by criminals to steal money and personal information. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) 2016 Internet Crime Report, the IC3 received a total of 298,728 complaints with reported losses in excess of $1.3 billion in 2016. This past year, the top three crime types reported by victims were non-payment and non-delivery, personal data breaches, and payment scams. The FBI wants shoppers to be extra vigilant of the following schemes and red flags.

Online Shopping Scams: If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Steer clear of unfamiliar sites offering unrealistic discounts on brand name merchandise or gift cards as an incentive to purchase a product, as you may end up paying for an item, giving away personal information, and receive nothing in return except a compromised identity. In addition, do not open any unsolicited e-mails or click on the links provided. Before shopping online, secure all bank and credit accounts with strong and different passwords. The same should be done for airline and rewards accounts, because the emergence of these offerings has led to an increase in the demand for and resale value of stolen information.

Social Media Scams: Beware of posts on social media sites that appear to offer vouchers or gift cards, even if it appears the offer was shared by an online friend. Some may pose as holiday promotions or contests that lead to participation in an online survey designed to steal personal information. In addition, do not post photos of event tickets on social media sites as fraudsters can use the barcode to recreate tickets for resale.

Craigslist Scams: Websites like Craigslist or eBay are especially popular during the holiday season, as people look for bargains or sell unneeded items for cash. Take steps to protect yourself by recognizing scams. Most scams attempts involve one or more of the following (source: https://www.craigslist.org/about/scams*):

Smartphone App Scams: Some apps, often disguised as games and offered for free, may be designed to steal personal information from your device. Before downloading an app from an unknown source, look for third-party reviews and be mindful that alternative app marketplaces can potentially include stolen content and compromised versions of otherwise trustworthy applications.

Work-From-Home Scams: Beware of postings offering work that can be done from the comfort of home, as these opportunities may have unscrupulous motivations behind them. Take caution when money is required up front for instructions or products, or when a job post claims “no experience necessary.” Carefully research individuals or companies before providing them with personal information and never provide personal information when first interacting with a potential employer.

Additional steps to avoid becoming a victim of fraud:

Check bank and credit card statements routinely, including immediately after making an online purchase and weeks following the holiday season.

Only purchase merchandise from a reputable source.

Don’t trust a website to be secure just because it claims to be.

Do not respond to spam e-mails or click on links contained within them.

Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mails that ask for personal information.

Be cautious of all e-mail attachments and scan them for viruses before opening.

Verify requests for personal information from businesses or financial institutions by contacting them using the main contact information on their official website.

Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.

How to report fraud: Consumers who suspect they’ve been victimized should immediately contact their financial institution and then law enforcement. Arvest customers with concerns about their accounts can report fraud by emailing reportfraud@arvest.com.

They are also encouraged to file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov*) regardless of dollar amount lost, and provide all relevant information regarding the complaint.

Links marked with * go to a third-party site not operated or endorsed by Arvest Bank, an FDIC-insured institution.

Arvest is excited to be the presenting sponsor of a collection of mobile apps that let you keep track of your favorite sports teams, no matter where you are!

Developed by From Now On, an Omaha, Neb.-based emerging player in mobile app technology, the apps are branded for many of the universities, colleges and high schools within our footprint and are provided at no cost to the fans! The gameday experience apps are designed to enhance your fan experience and promote engagement.

Each school’s app—based off the FanX platform—features team info, event schedules, live stats, scores, stadium maps, personalized notifications and much more.

“Providing the FanX app to these institutions is an innovative way to elevate fan engagement while also fulfilling our mission of giving back to our communities,” said Jason Kincy, SVP and director of marketing for Arvest Bank.

You can download the apps via the App Store* and Google Play* or you can search for your school’s name in the search bar.

Go teams!

Here is a list of the gameday experience apps within our footprint. This list is current as of Aug. 10, 2017.

MSSU Lions GO (Missouri Southern Athletics)

Gorilla Experience (Pittsburg State Athletics)

UMKC Roos Athletics (University of Missouri-Kansas City Athletics)

Arkansas Tech Experience (Arkansas Tech University Athletics)

UAFS Lions Gameday (University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Athletics)

University of Ozarks Athletics

ORU Golden Eagles Live (Oral Roberts University Athletics)

NSU Live (Northeastern State University Athletics)

Oklahoma Christian Athletics

Cameron Aggies Gameday (Cameron University Athletics)

Little Rock Gameday Experience (University of Arkansas-Little Rock)

Coming soon! This list is current as of Aug. 10, 2017:

Drury University

Bartlesville High School

West Plains High School

Mountain Home High School

Yellville Summit High School

Links marked with * go to a third-party site not operated or endorsed by Arvest Bank, an FDIC-insured institution.

Everywhere you turn today you seem to be bombarded with news coverage concerning the urgency of combating cybercrime, bad actors and hackers. There are many variations of malicious software, or “malware,” but financial malware, as its name implies is written specifically to commit financial fraud.

Cybercriminals use a variety of methods to infect their victims with malware including sending them email messages containing infected attachments or links to infected websites.

Once the victim is infected, the malware monitors the victim’s activity and may steal online banking credentials and other personal information using keystroke logging or screen shots images.

In some cases, hackers may use the victim’s own web browser to collect sensitive information (e.g., the victim's PIN) by adding extra fields to legitimate online forms or by changing website wording and messaging, or by triggering legitimate-looking pop-up forms in real-time.

Financial malware may redirect the victim to a fake website designed to mimic a legitimate bank website. As the victim enters their credentials, the malware then redirects them into the legitimate site, potentially triggering a SMS or other second-factor authentication code that the Trojan can then capture via the fake website.

How to Protect Yourself

Most threats still need user interaction to infect a potential victim’s system. For this reason, becoming aware of these threats and diligently taking extra precautions can significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime.

Keep your operating system, web browser and other software up to date.

Make sure your computer has both an anti-spyware protection program that detects and removes spyware and an anti-virus program. Keep both programs updated. Scan your computer for viruses and spyware on a regular basis.

Be very protective of your personal account information. There are criminals who try to trick you by creating sites that look similar to real sites. The best way to know who you are dealing with is to type the address in your browser address bar; don’t click on a link that’s provided to you via email.

Do not open attachments in email messages if you do not know the sender or weren’t expecting the message. Attachments can contain viruses and spyware.

Avoid logging into password protected websites, such as online banking or email services from public computers. Instead, use trusted or secured networks.

Avoid downloading apps to your mobile phone from unofficial stores and pay attention to the permissions requested by apps before their installation.

Always sign off from sessions and close your browser after using password protected websites.

If you suspect your computer may be infected or that your online banking credentials may have been compromised, contact your bank and change your password from a different trusted computer. Contact a computer security professional for assistance in removing malicious software.

It’s no secret mobile phones serve consumers as more than just a communication device these days.

Smartphones alternate as cameras, navigation tools, encyclopedias and other resources on a daily basis. And as digital devices offer more and more, the more irreplaceable they become to those same consumers.

Enter the digital wallet of the 21st century. Payment options like Apple Pay™, Android Pay™ and Samsung Pay are increasing in popularity among the digital consumer. This means more and more smartphones also are alternating as wallets for many consumers.

This is especially true among Millennials. According to an August 2016 study published in The Financial Brand, 21 percent of these digital natives don’t carry or use cash for purchases, and 53 percent choose to pay only by debit or credit card. The shift in payment preferences is also growing among consumers of other age groups, as they become more familiar with the benefits of using a digital wallet.

Arvest Bank believes mobile payments are an easier and safer form of payment than most consumers realize, and digital wallets have the potential to be the dominant form of payment in the future, although cash and credit will always be options.

The biggest advantage of the digital wallet is convenience. Consumers can leave their traditional wallets at home and use a mobile payment option for everything from ordering coffee to shopping to ride sharing.

The potential for identity theft gives wary consumers pause when it comes to trusting technology with their money, but financial experts say contactless payments are more secure than using cash or a debit or credit card. Whereas cash can be lost or stolen, and debit or credit cards can be compromised, digital wallets offer multiple layers of protection against identity theft.

A customer’s account number that is stored in a digital wallet is never shared with the merchant. Instead, the technology in the phone produces a different code for every transaction, greatly lowering the chance for identity theft. Many digital wallets also require a password or fingerprint to authorize and finalize payment, which is added security in the event a phone is lost or stolen.

Integration with pre-existing loyalty and coupon programs is another driver of mobile payment adoption, and web-based data and statistics company Statista projected mobile payments to rise from less than $10 billion in 2015 to more than $300 billion in 2020 in a recent report.

Similar to mobile phones, digital wallets are becoming more comprehensive in what they offer. As consumers increase their adoption and fuel broader integration among retailers, the future of the digital wallet could expand well beyond users’ expectations.

Android and Samsung users, the wait is over! Using your Arvest Bank debit card just became easier.

Enjoy all the benefits and security of your Arvest Bank debit card while using Android Pay and Samsung Pay where it is accepted — simple, secure and private ways to make purchases right from your Android phone** and Samsung phone***.

**Android Pay is only compatible on Android devices that are NFC- and HCE-enabled and run KitKat 4.4 or later. Android, Android Pay, and the Android Logo are trademarks of Google Inc. The Android Robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

Investment products and services are provided by Arvest Investments, Inc., doing business as Arvest Asset Management, member FINRA/SIPC, an SEC registered investment adviser and a subsidiary of Arvest Bank. Trust services are provided by Arvest Bank. Insurance products are made available through Arvest Insurance, Inc., which is registered as an insurance agency. Insurance products are marketed through Arvest Insurance, Inc., but are underwritten by insurance companies.
Securities and Insurance Products: Not Insured by FDIC or any Federal Government Agency, May Lose Value, Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by a Bank or any Bank Affiliate.